Well, sports fans, it's really raining as I start to write this--the sides of the streets are flooding, the trees are dripping, and my hair has taken a holiday!  But, in a way, it's fun--and different for our part of the state--and as a child growing up in Chicago, wet streets and puddles to jump in were commonplace, so I rather enjoy all this and it's really, really great when you're inside in a big chair with your animal close by and a good book and "a nice cuppa 'ot tea wif some milk" as the Cockneys of England say.

You know what's also fun, ladies, is to go get those long sparkly earrings that you wear to a fancy party once a year and put them on--yes, even if you're in your sweats. Perks you right up--and of course you do this on your way to get a second cuppa and two more shortbread cookies as you go back to your book (perhaps a naughty one?)  The patient and talented- excellent-at-her-job Amy, at Spal-Lon, who does her magic with my hair must cringe at what this dampness can do to a new  perm--and she's right!  I look rather like a Springer Spaniel but when I see her, in two days, she will only smile and say, "I'll take care of it, Missy, just sit down" and I will and she will. So, who cares if it rains--besides which, by the time this goes to print, it will be back in the 90's and hot and humid!

I have a new dog--Patti, this segues into my first book, with any luck! --whose name is Rufus Cooper (the last is my middle name), three and a half yrs. old--Golden Retriever color in his body and black and brown face rather like a Shepherd and a tail that he carries curled up over his back and because of the last characteristic, I've narrowed it down to 11 breeds. As you can surmise, this medium-sized very good natured dog is a "Mixed Breed", which Himself and I decided to do, this time around, and for 125 dollars my vet (and Rufus') can send in a DNA sample and it will tell me what breeds Rufus has--Himself gives me "that look" and says two things; "The parents were both dogs" and "Have you looked at the stock market recently?" Well, perhaps after Christmas!)

Speaking of pets--which I am--the first book in my non-fiction column is "The Parrot Who Thought She was a Dog", by Nancy Ellis-Bell, and it's a scream!  Particularly Nancy's as she learned to live with a one-legged, too tall, smart-mouthed macaw who shrieked expletives over the phone, as she was talking (imagine trying to give condolences to a friend who's just lost a sister and this bird is letting forth language only a sailor would use!), used its beak to tear apart the dog's beloved stuffed toys and claimed a valuable dresser as its perch! "There seemed no end to the birds' realm, nor her destruction, and it dawned on Nancy that the entire had slowly transformed into a giant birdcage!" While this sounds "warm and fuzzy", I found in reading on that the macaw, Sarah, had driven some of the mama cats and kittens away, pecked at and drawn blood from the dogs, and even taken up so much time that her patient husband stayed at his shop more and more, accurately telling Nancy that she was the one who'd introduced the bird into the family and she was the one to fix the several problems.  A funny yet thoughtful  story that you'll laugh at and find it hits close to the bond of all animals or whatever species and the pluses and minuses of "giving them a home." 

"Can I Keep My Jersey? 11 teams, 5 countries, and 4 years in My Life as a Basketball Vagabond", by Paul Shirley, and it is what it says, as Chuck Kosterman says,  most of us will never be paid to play basketball but this story "explains what such an experience might feel like" and it's a winner!  I'd wager that a lot of men have wondered what it would be like to be in the NBA and just travel from team to team--and maybe keep the jersey!  Paul has played in 6 NBA leagues, Spain, Greece, even to "North America's pro ball Siberia, the minor league--he's even played in the REAL Siberia!" 

He certainly knows which team has the best and prettiest cheerleaders 'cause he's spent so much time on the sidelines at games he hoped he'd play in that he became a pro cheerleader judge! "  And it bothers me a little bit as to why Christ is rapidly becoming every team's sixth man." All the religious tattoos, crosses around the neck, and piously intoning thankfulness to God for a good shot seems to be at odds, to Paul, on the guy cheating on his wife at every opportunity on the road. There are some scenarios that Paul would rather take up goat herding than be part of and he doesn't understand why a Bible is always in the car, of some players, "I cannot imagine a scenario wherein biblical guidance would be helpful when driving but maybe if you're wondering if Route 79 connects to your road" and says maybe there was something about that in 2nd Corinthians. It was a laugh-out-loud kind of book and, for one thing, his experiences overseas are worth reading about---turn to pg. 256 and try not to laugh out loud--just try! Come in and read a little bit and you'll check it out if only to see where he is now! 

And now, dear readers, we come to one of my-coulda-been-a-contender sports--tennis!  Anyone who's been out on a tennis court "in the mud and the blood and the beer", as the Western song by Johnny Cash says, will understand what it means to play in searing heat, it's not time to take a break and get water, your opponent is deliberately calling shots out that are not, and your newest round of blisters is pretty painful. Is there an "up"side--short of winning?--and the answer is the fact that you will say "Sure I'll play Thursday, just call and tell me where and when." I loved the game and my consistent hero in it was not a famous player but my father, followed closely by my Uncle Bob and my dream--my goal--was to beat either one of them, not for a whole set but just one game! 

"A Champion's Mind; Lessons from a LIfe in Tennis", by Pete Sampras, tell how much he loved it, was misunderstood as being "without emotions" and "boring", and yet was much admired for being for carrying the number one ranking in male tennis players in the world for 286 weeks and won 14--fourteen!--Grand Slams!  He talks about his battles with Jimmy Connors and his great rivalry with Andre Agassi and his wonderful last match in the finals of the 2002 U.S. Open.  Even his "popular sports advertisement" persona with Nike took the inevitable tumble as he got older and would not be winning many of the "big ones" in the near future--that's not what advertisers are looking for.  "When it came to budget slashing, I was a prime target.  The cruel, underlying reality is that, in the endorsement business as well as the game, you are only as good as your latest results, and people are more interested in what you might do in the future than what you'd done in the past."  Most sports figures find that out and it's definitely true.

His last match was against someone who was the Ying to his Yang, a seasoned competitor and someone who had weathered the storms as Pete had--Andre Agassi--and anyone who loves tennis would have killed to have been lucky enough to get a ticket to it.  So, I've a great deal of respect for anyone who is a great tennis star or even for those people, like me, who gets on a court and, hopefully, gets off some good shots and one of my childhood admonitions from my father came, at least once in every Sunday afternoon we played--when I'd get discouraged or mad or be ready to throw in a racquet or a towel, he'd say "Pull up your socks, Tootsie, you can do better than that!" Isn't it funny what will stick with you? 

Soooo, dear readers, the skies are overcast but not pouring out rain and, actually, the weather's quite nice, and I still have not had my Summer treat--a foot-long chili cheese hot dog from Sonic.  Plus onion rings.  Plus iced tea! Oh, frabjus day, as Snoopy would say, when I get it!  Summer days are perfect for sitting in a glider and reading a good book, which, in my case, is a little difficult in my backyard glider 'cause the "water bugs" (golf carts) are usually running around, out past my fence, and I have to look up to see who's in them--which is not always successful 'cause I am nearsighted, but I smile and give an answering wave anyway. I'm sure the two games, tennis and  golf, have some of the same bonds,namely a little white ball and playing against opponents, and some standards are "par for the course" and there's always another story to add to your playing experience, isn't there?

Have a good week-end, look forward to Football season, remember to do FAll fertilizing, and if you're candying any tart apples anytime soon, both Anna OKane and I are most fond of them--but she can't eat hers in the Buckle 'cause it's so bad to get caramel on the clothes,  but I can eat one here at the library as long as I don't handle books!  Thanks for reading this and I look forward to our next time together, as always. Bye!